The author of this piece declares an interest as I am married to a person liable for council tax in the Merseyside area. I also declare an interest as the future closure of Upton Fire Station will lengthen response times to the area I live in. The piece was possible because of a collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).

At yesterday’s public meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, after approving a 2.99%* council tax rise for 2018-19, the Chair Councillor Dave Hanratty announced that he would not be seeking re-election as a Liverpool City Council councillor in May 2018. *This is just the increase in the fire part of the council tax, the overall increase will be different as council tax here in Wirral is made up of local council, police, fire and combined authority amounts.

This decision would mean that (barring any special public meetings of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority between now and May 2018) it was his last public meeting chairing the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority.

Councillor Hanratty is one of six councillors appointed to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority by Liverpool City Council. He represents Fazakerley ward for the Labour Party on Liverpool City Council and has been a councillor since 1992.

Many of the other Labour councillors on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and a trade union representative had kind words to say about him during the public meeting, which you can view towards the end in the second of the two video clips above. There was then a standing ovation for Councillor Hanratty.

In other news, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority plan to start building the controversial Saughall Massie Fire Station on greenbelt land in May 2018. When it is built and operational, the plan is to close and sell off Upton Fire Station.

Cllr Hanratty consistently has spoken out consistently in favour of this project, despite opposition from local councillors, residents, Wirral Council’s Planning Commmittee turning down the first planning application and ever spiralling costs.

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